Senate move latest in Liberal rebranding effort

Liberal leader Justin Trudeau leaves an announcement in the foyer of the House of Commons Wednesday Jan. 29, 2014.

Photograph by: THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld
, Postmedia News

OTTAWA — Justin Trudeau’s bombshell decision to dump 32 senators from the federal Liberal caucus this week is just the latest in a string of moves designed to turn the page on his party’s reputation for arrogance, corruption and entitlement.

The sponsorship scandal, a long history of patronage appointments and a firm belief they were the country’s natural governing party all coalesced a decade ago to stain the Liberal brand and contribute to its steady decline to third-place status.

Since being elected leader last April, Trudeau has sought to change this image by:

– Promising to end the long-standing tradition of Liberal leaders using their power to appoint candidates in some ridings. Now, open nomination battles will be held in all 338 ridings.

– Spending most of his time crisscrossing the country recruiting Canadians to volunteer for, donate to and support the party.

– Making his party the first to publish travel and hospitality expenses online.

Akaash Maharaj, former national policy chair for the Liberals, said Trudeau has also successfully ended the decades of divisiveness that plagued the party and contributed to falling fortunes and a disconnect from average Canadians.

Some will question whether these changes represent a real shift in attitude within the Liberal party, but Maharaj said they are “clearly a journey away from the party’s old identity.”

Trudeau has said his decision to sever ties with the 32 senators is about eliminating partisanship and patronage, and returning the upper chamber to its original purpose as a place of sober second-thought.

It also appears to seize the agenda on Senate reform from both the Harper government and the opposition NDP in a single stroke. Yet in many ways, ejecting the senators from the Liberal caucus was also the next logical step on the path to rebuilding the party.

Robert Asselin, a University of Ottawa professor and one of Trudeau’s advisers, described the senators as “great individuals who have served the party.”

“But as you’ve seen with his leadership campaign, (Trudeau) started from the proposition that we needed to rebuild the party from scratch,” Asselin said.

“Justin brings a generational change,” he added. “Politics is obviously cyclical, and at one point people are looking for the next generation to step up and change things. And I think that’s where we are in the cycle.”

The move also shows that Trudeau “doesn’t owe anything to anyone” within the party, Asselin said, which gives him enormous freedom to act on his promises to Canadians.

“Canadians see a bunch of old politicians doing the same thing over and over,” he said. “And they see this young guy saying ‘I’m going to change things and I mean it. And here’s the proof of it. I’m going to fire a bunch of senators from my own caucus.’ ”

Maharaj said the fact Trudeau was able to single-handedly eject the senators without significant pushback is unprecedented.

“This is not a party he has inherited,” Maharaj said. “It is a party he has control of. It shows very much that this is Justin Trudeau’s party.”

There will be some costs, starting with a dramatic drop in representation from western and northern Canada inside the Liberal caucus. There were seven senators representing provinces west of Ontario, and one from the territories — Northwest Territories Sen. Nick Sibbeston.

Now the Liberals will have only one caucus member from Manitoba, one from Saskatchewan and two from British Columbia, both from the Vancouver area. There will be no members from Alberta or the territories.

Ralph Goodale, the lone Liberal MP from Saskatchewan, said the party has always been challenged in terms of representing western Canadians, but is hoping the Senate move will result in stronger Liberal representation from those areas after the next election.

“Western Canadians have always had pretty aggressive views with regard to Senate issues,” he said. “And this is the largest measure of genuine Senate reform that has been implemented in a very long period of time.”

The Liberal caucus also loses some of its most experienced parliamentarians, as well as some star power with well-known senators such as Romeo Dallaire no longer able to speak for the party.

But Maharaj said many of the senators were former fundraisers, activists and party organizers whose skills and contacts are no longer relevant or useful to the party in the current context.

A national poll conducted by Angus Reid immediately after Trudeau’s announcement Wednesday found more than half of respondents approved of the move, and less than one in five disapproved.

But more than one-third were undecided, while respondents were almost evenly divided on whether the move was “bold” and showed leadership, or merely a stunt “aimed at minimizing damage to the Liberal party.”

“At first glance, Trudeau may have reason to feel optimistic about his political gamble,” said Angus Reid vice-president Shachi Kurl. “However, the significant number of Canadians who are undecided about this issue means the battle for hearts and minds is far from over.”

We encourage all readers to share their views on our articles and blog posts. We are committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion, so we ask you to avoid personal attacks, and please keep your comments relevant and respectful. If you encounter a comment that is abusive, click the "X" in the upper right corner of the comment box to report spam or abuse. We are using Facebook commenting. Visit our FAQ page for more information.

Almost Done!

Postmedia wants to improve your reading experience as well as share the best deals and promotions from our advertisers with you. The information below will be used to optimize the content and make ads across the network more relevant to you. You can always change the information you share with us by editing your profile.

By clicking "Create Account", I hearby grant permission to Postmedia to use my account information to create my account.

I also accept and agree to be bound by Postmedia's Terms and Conditions with respect to my use of the Site and I have read and understand Postmedia's Privacy Statement. I consent to the collection, use, maintenance, and disclosure of my information in accordance with the Postmedia's Privacy Policy.

Postmedia wants to improve your reading experience as well as share the best deals and promotions from our advertisers with you. The information below will be used to optimize the content and make ads across the network more relevant to you. You can always change the information you share with us by editing your profile.

By clicking "Create Account", I hearby grant permission to Postmedia to use my account information to create my account.

I also accept and agree to be bound by Postmedia's Terms and Conditions with respect to my use of the Site and I have read and understand Postmedia's Privacy Statement. I consent to the collection, use, maintenance, and disclosure of my information in accordance with the Postmedia's Privacy Policy.